Tag Archives: 343 studios

An Master Chief Action Figure Previews What He Will Look Like in Halo 4

Halo 4 will be the first game in the epic space marine series to not be developed and looked over by Bungie. With them out the picture, you would think that 343 studios wouldn't upgrade or update the Chief's appearance. Well actually they decided to give him a bit of an upgrade, and you can see it in the new line of Halo action figurines that will be coming soon to a shelf near you, which you can see here on this Kotaku article.

Made by McFarlane toys which have released the first images of the Halo 4 action figures. And despite locking himself in a cryo chamber between Halo 3 and Halo 4, Master Chief got himself a new bit of armor on him. Additionally, McFarlane toys have released images of a new line of Halo toys based on the famous Xbox 360 avatars, as well as some new takes of the older Halo assets, including a nice ODST Drop Pod.

Bungie will Have 343 Cover all Halo Community Based Services

As of March 31 of this year, Bungie will no longer host any Halo services on Bungie.net (according to this article on Joystiq). All current Halo data will now be handled and transferred over to 343. When that happens, 343 will accept all responsible of handling the information Bungie will no longer be able to update game stats, player service records, host any new user generated content, or operate any more of the Bungie Pro services. Any type of replacement functionality for the community or the game will be hosted by Halo Waypoint on halo.xbox.com.

It should be noted that Bungie doesn't mention if functionality will be replaced, but that seems unlikely for Microsoft to allow Halo's community features to disappear completely as they are the bread and butter of the community franchise. Knowing how upset people would be if people weren't able to show off their tricks and great shots, I doubt Microsoft would do such a thing.

There is a trend in 2011 game releases that has us very excited. This being the debut of refurbished classic gaming titles, which feature updated graphics, and improved game play that is consistent with the original titles. Two of the most prominent remakes are Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Legend of Zelda:Ocarina of Time 3D, both of which are poised to be excellent new additions to the already highly popular originals.

In light of these classic remakes, I have been going back over the original titles and I have been reminded of some amazing gameplay moments that deserveto be recognized. Starting with my favorite game of all time, Legend of Zelda:Ocarina of Time is an instant classic in its entirety, but there are some moments in the game that stand above the rest. Firstly, attaining the Master Sword for the first time in the game is not only a confidence boost to the player, but it completely changes the fighting strategy as you move forward in the game. More damage quicker, and somewhere deep inside you know that wielding the Master Sword means you are definitely on the path to completing the game. Another awesome moment from Ocarina of Time is the first time you travel through time and emerge as adult Link. The idea alone is progressive, and the time travel aspect of OoT gave the gamer a completely different interaction with the games world.

Moving on to one of the most popular titles in Xbox history, Halo: Combat Evolved changed the way we view first-person shooters, and subsequently isriddled with awesome gaming moments. For myself, the final sequence in which you are escaping The Pillar of Autumn by way of Warthog is the most epic gameplay Ihave ever experienced. You are dodging the flood and covenant troops alike in a lastditch effort to escape the Halo ring; not to mention the fact the ship happens to beself destructing all around you, making this more a special effects scene from a Michael Bay movie than a scene from a video game.

With the release of these updated classic titles I hope you are inspired to go back and play some of your favorite gaming classics. When you do, let us know what some of your favorite gaming moments are, and we can all share in the nostalgia together. Game on, and remember the roots that allowed us to play the awesome titles of today.

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